Together in Flight
by DigiExpert
Summary: Finally able to perform the Emerald, Aaeru and Neviril are unprepared for the results. Aaeru brings up a point, and she and Neviril reminisce about their original first flight.


**Some of you know how I can really settle in and work on a piece if I'm motivated to finish the story. I sat down to work on this yesterday afternoon and got caught up in the story so much that I was determined to finish it before bed. In the end, I did finish it, and I spent today after arriving home from school to edit and revise it. I think the end result is wonderful. This piece was written in response to the prompt sentence: first flight and meant for Aaeru/Neviril. It was done for the latest round on yuri_challenge on LiveJournal. Enjoy!**

The sky was theirs. No one would stop them from completing the miracle Ri Majon; already the Simouns in pursuit had wished them luck on their journey with the Morning Calm Ri Majon, and would no longer chase after them. Part of her was relieved, while another part itched for the battle that never occurred. She wouldn't have minded. With Neviril behind her as her sagitta, she felt no fear. Together, as a true pair, she felt them to be unstoppable. Her fingers eased up on the controls, lightly gripping them. There was no need to worry about being chased any longer.

She wasn't sure how to feel inside. She felt nervous, but also excited, a bundle of emotions coursing through her veins. They were going to perform the same Ri Majon that Limone and Dominura had tried, the same one that had failed when Neviril and Amuria had attempted to complete it. Briefly, she wondered how it would turn out before banishing the thought. She didn't need to contemplate the outcome; she knew what it would be in the end. Nothing could make it go otherwise.

"Let's do it." The wide expanse of sky stretched before her, full of possibilities. It was their sky, their chance to do with it as they pleased.

She spoke, letting Neviril know it was time. Now or never. The new world… what would it be like? Would it be just like her grandpa told her in his stories as she sat upon his lap? How would it look? Would it be the exactly same as Simulacrum, or different in some way? And if it was different, how different could it really be? Her mind could not fathom the possibilities that existed or could exist. She would simply have to find out, which she planned on doing. She had never been one to back down, and she didn't plan to.

Neviril's replies were short, terse responses, but they didn't need to be long or complex. Aaeru's hold on the controls now was only meant to steady herself as the craft performed the Ri Majon. She gave her trust to Neviril, knowing that as sagitta, the girl would guide them to the place they needed to be, the place that promised them both freedom and a place in the eternal stream of time and space. The craft launched into the maneuver and the light trails began to form, twisting and weaving about in gentle curves.

Aaeru wasn't sure what to expect or even knew when the Ri Majon was completed. Until joining Chor Tempest, she had never known of the Emerald, yet she had performed it her very first day with the smoke trails from her grandpa's Simile, so she had been told in a not so kind tone by Paraietta. She hadn't known what made the Emerald so special that set it apart from the other Ri Majons, nor did she know what it could create. It just seemed like another Ri Majon to her. Now, she knew better. This was something she wanted to do, and she wouldn't do it with anyone but Neviril. Neviril, who she had once wanted to fly with because she was the Sibylla Aurea. Neviril, who she'd once wanted to fly with because they said liking your pair made the Ri Majons stronger. Neviril, who she wanted to fly with because she was not only her pair, but also the person she loved.

All at once she saw a rainbow of light trails in her vision. It was bright and blinding, and she closed her eyes to keep from looking directly at it. She felt a burst of warm air suddenly appear around her and in her. Had the Simoun fallen apart, and they were merely drifting in the warm air in free fall? Had they failed in their attempt, as Amuria and Neviril had before? Were they…dead? No… the light… it cradled her, like an infant, a feeling that had been lost to her as she had grown into a toddler and more independent. It was a feeling of warmth and love and other feelings she couldn't quite describe or place a name to. What was this feeling? She held her hands up to cover her eyes, even though they were closed. Everything still felt very bright to her.

"Neviril… Neviril…" she whispered softly, briefly wondering about her pair. The warmth enveloped her completely and then she lost consciousness, giving in.

The painted sky did nothing to calm her nerves, however calm and collected she might seem on the outside. They had barely escaped, and it had only been because of the foreign priestesses. She didn't want to consider the alternative, though she had begun to mentally prepare herself for the Spring in her mind. They could not resist or fight against armed men, and she did not feel that Tempus Spatium would wish that she rebel in such a manner. She knew that Aaeru, on the other hand, would fight and defend for what she wanted. Instead of fighting she would have gone to the Spring with Aaeru and selected her gender. In her mind, she wanted to be with Aaeru, and her choice at the Spring would reflect that.

Truly, making such a decision would have been difficult. Being taken and held in the holding cells hadn't been expected, but that was to be expected in life. Events happened that one was unprepared for and it was those times that one's true colors would show through. Her time in the cell had caused her to think, both about where she had been, her past, and her future. She had prayed for guidance. And all the while, she yearned for Aaeru. Now, it seemed foolish and childish to have kissed the wall in the fashion that she had, but at the time, it felt more than right. She wondered if Aaeru had heard her whispering. She realized how foolish that sounded. No one could hear someone whispering through heavy stone walls.

Aaeru pulled her from her revEri, bringing her attention back to the matter at hand. They had just witnessed the Morning Calm Ri Majon, one that she had seen mention of before in a book she had found in the library as a studious cadet years ago. In the past it had been used to bid farewell to a fellow comrade, performed ceremoniously in large groups. It could be used in many types of ceremonies, but had been forgotten about as the years had passed and other Ri Majon were discovered and put into use. As far as she knew, she was the only one of the current Sibylla on the Arcus Prima who had known about its existence. If she had to guess, Limone may also have known of its existence…but she'd never know for sure.

It indeed had put her at ease some, knowing that even the foreign militants respected what she and Aaeru were about to do. Now she had to make herself focus on performing the Emerald, the Ri Majon she had failed at doing before with Amuria. Would the same thing happen again with Aaeru? Would they fail to completely execute it, and be torn apart forever? Would she be left behind while Aaeru disappeared or worse, ended up dead? It wasn't pleasant to think about, nor did it give her courage for the second attempt.

It was hard to focus, and her replies to Aaeru were short. Aaeru would be with her, and she had to trust that it would be that way even after performing the Emerald. In her heart, she knew it was time. They both wanted to travel to the other world, to change the future to something other than endless warring. She knew that Aaeru had relinquished the controls so that she could guide them toward this destiny. She guided the Simoun upward, beginning the complex weave. Her fingers worked from the memory of cadet days gone past; she couldn't help but realize that she was doing exactly what Amuria had done not very long ago. She gripped tightly, trying to keep her emotions steady. Now would not be the time to lose focus on what had to be done.

She connected the final trail of light, leaving them in the center of the Ri Majon she had created. At once, a stream of light shot forth from the center nearby, and she had to shield her eyes for fear of being blinded by such light. Specks and dashes of every color in the rainbow greeted her, and she squinted before closing her eyes completely. A warm current of air flowed around her body, and she let herself be cradled in the flow. It was as though she were being held close by her mother, a memory long since forgotten. But now…it rushed back to her. She was just a little girl with a scraped knee… Love… she felt loved and appreciated, though she couldn't explain why the air made her feel that way.

The sensation lulled her body, and she wondered if she were dead. Had she failed to execute the Ri Majon just as before? Was this what it was like once you passed on from the world and ceased to physically exist? Was she meant to tumble about in this space, feeling this way, for all eternity? Surely not… but could it be?

"Aaeru… where have you gone…." she murmured. She lost consciousness, the last thing she remembered being the extremely comforting air all around her. She too gave in to the comfort it provided.

Aaeru found herself struggling to wake, but also found that she was comfortable the way she was. The warm feeling was there still, reminding her of those lost feelings and memories. She could float in this limbo forever and feel that nothing was missing…except something was. She struggled to break through the fog that her brain seemed to be in…she couldn't think straight, and dimly wondered if her brain was broken…that seemed familiar to her somehow. Think, think, think… everything seemed so unclear. What had she forgotten?

A scent wafted to her nose. It smelled so familiar to her… the image of a person entered her mind, but it was fuzzy to her. She couldn't make out who it was, but it had to be someone important. She got the feeling that it was someone special to her. Who meant so much? The word "love" floated to the front of her mind and she corrected herself. Who was the person that she loved?

She woke further, and the fog began to clear. The face became less blurry and the definition became clearer. The eyes struck her first, brilliant bright blue. She felt like she was close and yet so far. She felt herself reaching out for the person. Her fingers stretched with every ounce of strength she had. Surely if she could not reach them, it would all be pointless. What would be pointless? She had to know, had to touch. Her grasp fell short, but she wanted to try again. Her hand reached out once more and she was jerked into consciousness.

Aaeru suddenly found herself back in her seat in the Simoun. They were floating in a sky that was unfamiliar to her. She tried to look for any familiar landmarks or locations she remembered, but saw nothing to remind her of Simulacrum. She looked up into the sky, and noticed that only one sun was above their heads. They were in some unknown place. Immediately she jerked her head to the dash, and began checking the controls and gauges. Everything seemed to be as it should and in complete working order. She was forgetting something, and she wasn't sure what. Then it hit her.

"Neviril! Neviril are you okay?" she shouted, throwing open the hatch and turning around, fumbling with the sagitta's hatch. She could see Neviril through the glass seemingly unharmed and very unconscious.

Neviril felt that she could float in this warm sensation forever. Images had come to her before she had slowly woken, finding herself in this place of white. She saw her mother once more, cradling her newborn daughter to her chest. She had been protected and knew safety before she could define the word. As she drifted along, the images had changed and she had grown into a teenager, a fine example of a priestess.

Amuria was there, giving her that familiar confident style. She found herself taking Amuria's hand and allowing herself to be pulled along. She found the warmth in the bond of their joined hands. It was a touch she hadn't forgotten, but it had dimmed over time. The chance to embrace it again was calming. Amuria smiled at her, not speaking. Then, she nodded at Neviril.

Her hand began to slip, and she found that she couldn't keep hold of Amuria's hand for much longer. She tried to grip tighter, but it was no use. Amuria slipped away, drifting further ahead. Neviril felt deserted and alone. In the distance she spotted someone sitting, wearing what looked to be a green pilot suit. In their gloved hand was a music box that played the gentlest of tunes. The tune was familiar to her, as was the person, but she couldn't place either of them. Her mind seemed to be too foggy to provide her with the answer.

As she drifted closer, she caught a better glimpse of the person sitting there. It was a girl with her hair in buns. The girl was content, happily listening to the music box. She turned her head and looked at Neviril floating past. The bright green eyes and the large smile plastered on her face seemed to jolt her memory a bit… this girl was special to her, but in what way? Why couldn't she remember? She liked the girl… no. She had to correct herself immediately at that thought. This was a girl she loved. She loved this girl, and would do anything to stay with her.

All at once she woke fully, finding herself lying back in her seat. Her head looked toward the sky, and into those green eyes. She recalled the name immediately. "Aaeru…" she whispered softly, finding her voice cracking and soft.

"Neviril… you okay?" asked Aaeru, who sat upon the Simoun gem. She'd just managed to pry open the hatch right before Neviril had woken up. She had originally planned to climb into the sagitta seat and wake Neviril, but it wasn't necessary now. It was just as well; she didn't think she'd comfortably fit into the cockpit.

Clutching at her head, Neviril asked, "I am…I think so…where are we?" The throbbing started, gentle but distracting.

Aaeru cocked her head. "Somewhere. I don't recognize it. Nothing's familiar at all. The Emerald Ri Majon worked though."

Neviril struggled to pull herself into a sitting position. She seemed to be more affected by the after affects of the complex Ri Majon than Aaeru. She took the chance to look around the sky, and noticed that Aaeru was indeed correct. Nothing seemed familiar, and all she could see for miles was ocean. It was different. They had made it to the other world. "It's hard to believe…"

"Everything seems to work. None of the gauges are broken or anything." Aaeru turned her head back to her auriga seat. "We're just drifting along, but I'm sure we can easily take control."

"Perhaps we should seek land and shelter," agreed Neviril. She held her head, a light throbbing pulsing beneath her skin as she did so.

"Neviril?" asked Aaeru. "You okay?"

Aaeru was repeating herself, Neviril noted with a small smile. "Yes, just a bit of a headache. Let's see if we can find something."

"I'll chart a course toward the north. We seem to be heading in that direction already," replied Aaeru. She was about to turn around and slide back into her seat, but another thought occurred to her. "Should we activate the gem again?"

At first, Neviril wasn't sure what she was talking about. Then it dawned on her. "Let's," she replied, leaning forward.

Aaeru lay on her stomach, gripping the edges around the opening to the sagitta seat to keep her balance. Her lips captured Neviril's and they shared a short, but gentle kiss. Both girls kissed the Simoun gem, which flashed with new vigor at their touch. Aaeru slid back into her seat and closed the hatch while Neviril did the same.

After a final check of controls and gauges, Aaeru guided them forward on their course, keeping a steady speed. It would allow them to cover more ground before nightfall yet also allow them to observe the new location in which they found themselves. The ocean appeared to be long and endless, and land didn't seem like it would ever appear.

"Is this world all water?" grumbled Aaeru a few hours later.

"I wouldn't think so. Let's continue on."

Sometime later, Aaeru spotted the first glimpses of land. They circled around the island a few times, watching for any signs of life. When they found no immediate signs, they touched the Simoun down, hiding it back from the beach. Aaeru climbed down from the Simoun and stretched sore muscles. Neviril attempted to climb down the ladder, but found herself shaking, as though she might fall from her position if she didn't grip hard enough.

"Aaeru," she called, hand tightening on the ladder, feeling slightly dizzy.

"Hmm?"

"Come help me…I don't think I can make it down without falling."

Finding the request odd, Aaeru walked toward Neviril, reaching out for Neviril's hand. Neviril gave it to her, holding tightly. She tried to take another step down, but lost her footing. She tumbled onto Aaeru, who landed on her back in the sand. She immediately pulled herself off of Aaeru, but still leaned over her, checking to see that she was all right. It appeared as though she'd merely had the wind knocked out of her. "I'm sorry," she apologized.

"It's all right." Aaeru gave her a smiled and then a thought crossed her mind. "Hey, Neviril?"

"Yes?"

"That was our first flight together."

"That wasn't our first flight, Aaeru. We've flown together many times before."

"Not like that though," protested Aaeru.

"What do you mean?"

"Remember? Ri Majon are stronger if you really like the person you fly with," stated Aaeru, rewording what Floe had originally told her.

"So you mean it was our first flight as a… a true pair?"

"Yeah, that. And we accomplished the Emerald Ri Majon too."

Neviril rolled over, laying her head on Aaeru's stomach. Her head still throbbed slightly and she wished it would go away. She looked toward the sky. "It wasn't anything like the first time we flew together, was it?"

"Don't think so."

Neviril couldn't help but chuckle some. "Don't you remember it?"

Aaeru slipped her hands behind her head. "Course! I wanted you for my pair and only you." She grinned at the memory that surfaced. "I got you, didn't I?"

Neviril smiled. "You did, but it wasn't easy to "get me" as you put it."

Aaeru thought back to that first flight. It was the day she arrived on the Arcus Prima. She had been intent on finding Neviril and flying with her after she'd discovered that Neviril was the Sibylla Aurea. Anyone who had that title must be considered the best, and the perfect pair to fly with. It didn't matter whether they matched up in feelings or not. The thought never even crossed her mind. The idea of being the best went solely on others' judgment, not what she felt inside for the girl. She ignored Rodoreamon and Floe's requests to stop, and only half paid attention to their guided tour. She had come face to face with Neviril by chance, and introduced herself boldly.

She had finally managed to convince Neviril to fly just one time with her before she left for the Spring. Neviril had hesitated. She hadn't wanted to fly at all, but Aaeru was headstrong and wouldn't let the matter drop. Neviril had set aside her bag and Eri had taken control of a Simile, keeping an eye on the two.

Climbing into the auriga seat for the very first time sent a thrill down Aaeru's spine that she didn't know existed until that point. After watching the Simouns from afar, she was finally able to sit in one. She knew where she fit- auriga. She didn't give Neviril any choice in the matter, or even cared to ask the older girl what her position was. She merely took the position that would allow her to control the flight of the craft and take control of the sky. In her own excitement, she forgot to do something. Neviril had to remind her.

"Aaeru," she called. "We need to activate the gem."

Aaeru turned in her seat and then stood. She knew the gem had to be activated, and she'd heard it was from kissing, but she wasn't sure if that was the true way. She got her answer when Neviril quickly kissed her lips. The warm sensation was brief, but Aaeru couldn't explain why it felt so good to her. She chalked it up to her excitement and left it at that. The pair kissed the gem, which immediately came to life as they pressed their lips against the orb, humming and sending lines spinning about.

The Simoun was guided into the air with ease. Aaeru thought of how similar it was to flying in the simile. "How's my driving?" she asked with glee. She was acting like a small child who shows great excitement when a gift is received. To her, the chance to fly a Simoun was the best gift she could receive. She had much to prove, after all.

She was gently scolded by Neviril for calling it such a thing. Did it really matter what she called it? She was still doing the same thing, regardless of the name. Who cared about Tempus Spatium? This girl obviously did. No matter. Aaeru wouldn't let that take the joy away from her flight. She was much too excited to finally be flying.

In her excitement, she confessed that it was her first time to touch a Simoun. She had never been allowed to touch them as a cadet, no matter how close she tried to get. No one took her seriously enough to let her near. She was stuck learning to pilot the Similes when war was declared. She was only on the Arcus Prima in the first place because of her skill in battle, a battle she should have never been involved in in the first place. She didn't think it'd matter much to get involved, but apparently there had been rules about such things. She was forced to volunteer or be dismissed, not that she had to be told twice about volunteering.

Piloting the Simoun was very similar to pilot a Simile. To her, it was merely a larger craft with an extra passenger and not some blessed vehicle of the gods. The only large difference was that the Simoun could create Ri Majon, while the Simile had artillery guns. She didn't catch Neviril's surprised reaction to her confession though, and it wouldn't have mattered to her anyway.

She had continued to speak in her excitement, remembering how she had wanted to ride in a Simoun even as a little girl. From the stories her grandpa had told her to the ceremonies she had seen performed at the temple in her village, she had always wanted to fly in one, controlling the craft and guiding it to its destination while the sagitta rode behind her, drawing the Ri Majon trails.

Neviril didn't share the same excitement as her, instead mentioning how things had changed. Aaeru figured she was the sort to be a faithful follower of Tempus Spatium, and said as much. Neviril's reply was all she needed to know, but she still didn't see the difference. "There's no difference," she stated. Whether for prayer or for war, wouldn't she still be flying the Simoun and drawing the Ri Majon trails of light in the sky? What did it matter the reason? She still would be doing it.

Battle was brought up and the way of life on the battle field. Neviril must have believed her to have been trained far from any site that the war would have covered, but she set the story straight. She wasn't new to the war or the casualties it brought on. She had seen the Sibylla at the temple go off to fight, some never returning at the end of the day. She remembered her own flight and the fight against the enemy aircraft. She didn't need Neviril to explain anything to her. She felt that she'd seen enough to know what this girl was talking about.

Aaeru turned the Simoun to head back toward the Arcus Prima. She spoke of the Spring, and her determination to not go. It didn't matter to her just yet. Her 17th birthday had just passed, but as long as she could fight, as long as the war was going on, she would continue to do so. She kept quiet about that wish for now, leaving the idea hanging in the air. The war would continue and she would continue to fly and avoid the Spring, and making that choice.

At the very end of the flight, she watched Neviril turn away from her, intent on going with Eri to the Spring. Before she left though, Neviril turned around once more, and thanked her for the flight. Aaeru wasn't sure what to make of it. She had enjoyed flying with the Sibylla Aurea, but the girl was still headed for the Spring. She hadn't been able to change her mind before she had left. Aaeru watched the pair disappear, and then turned to look at the Simoun. She patted the metal frame, eagerly anticipating the next chance she would have to fly in it.

Neviril too, remembered the flight as she looked up at the slow moving puffy clouds. She rested a hand on her stomach, and let her mind wander back to that day, another day in a long line of days where she thought she would drown in her own grief. Those were the days when she sometimes wished she had perished too so that she would never know the pain that she had felt deep inside her heart.

Eri had made things a little easier for her mind that day, approaching her at the maaju pool for a favor, and she had agreed to it.. She would accompany Eri to the Spring. She had dressed in her civilian clothing and met Eri, carrying a bag of her own things. She wasn't sure yet if she should choose a gender and begin her life as an adult, or continue to be the Sibylla Aurea, being used in a war that dissolved the traditions of using the Simoun as divine aircraft for prayers and instead used them as war machines. It would have been easy to follow Eri in the Simile and take the helical motor train into the city.

Until she met Sibylla Aaeru.

She couldn't explain her reasoning for choosing to fly with the cocky upstart, but perhaps she had wanted to fly just one more time, in case she did decide to select her gender at the Spring. This new Sibylla had enough energy and enthusiasm for the both of them. Aaeru had asked Wapourif to get a Simoun ready and she had waited outside of the hangar patiently.

Neviril moved to climb up the Simoun into the auriga seat, the only position she'd flown in ever since being promoted to the rank of Sibylla. Her test scores had placed her as one of the best auriga's in her class that particular year, and her skill at piloting a Simile was bar none. However, the new girl had beat her to it, leaving Neviril to travel up to the sagitta seat. She did not fuss or complain about the matter, even if it was not her usual position. She would be fine as sagitta; she wasn't the Sibylla Aurea for nothing. She knew the controls and their functions from her studies, but had never used them before. Amuria had always been her sagitta, and so there was no need.

She found it strange that Aaeru forgot about the traditional kiss, and thus reminded her. As she had leaned over to kiss the eager girl, she had noticed how different it felt to kiss her. It wasn't anything like kissing Amuria. Aaeru was new to the idea, and did not put any of her own feelings behind the kiss. Neviril wasn't sure if she wanted the girl too. It was mechanical, and foreign. The gem was activated, and they flew off into the early afternoon sky, Eri trailing behind them in a Simile.

Aaeru's words did not settle well with her. The girl acted like a child pretending to go to war. She didn't see the difference in praying in the Simoun and going to war in the Simoun. How could this girl be so blind to something such as that? No Sibylla ever wanted to go to war, but this girl seemed to enjoy herself, maybe a little too much. She could not let the childish glee override the girl's responsibilities to the Chor and to Tempus Spatium. Her duties as a priestess needed to come first.

However, her reminder seemed to do nothing to daunt the girl, who said she had trained on the front lines in the South. How could the girl be so happy if that was the case? Neviril thought back to the routine patrol a few days ago that had turned into a death field. Not only had Chor Caput suffered heavy losses, but she had lost her pair and first love.

The Emerald Ri Majon had been a mistake to try, but she had done it because she believed in Amuria, even if the time had seemed completely wrong. Her heart had not been completely in it. She had relinquished control of the Simoun and allowed Amuria to begin drawing the Emerald. She had seen the eyes of the soldier then, and everything but the pain she had felt was a blur. How could Aaeru not realize that battle was so much more than play? If she knew the front lines, then shouldn't she act differently about war? Perhaps she had not lost someone close to her.

She was quiet as Aaeru landed the Simoun back on the flight deck. Eri was waiting for her beside the Simile, ready to go. She followed, but turned back to Aaeru. "Thank you, Aaeru." If nothing else, the Sibylla had given her the final flight of her life. It had been nothing like flying with Amuria and her sky felt smaller, but she had flown nonetheless. She hoped she had sated the girl's need to have Neviril as her pair. Neviril walked with Eri to the other Simile and placed her bag inside the craft. Aaeru would find someone else to be her pair, certainly someone more suited to her…style.

Neviril smiled at the memory and sat up. She found the throbbing had ceased and that her head felt much better than it had before. Aaeru sat up with her, and looked at her expectantly.

"We should find some food and make shelter," suggested Aaeru. "Looks like it may be night soon and I don't wanna sleep in the Simoun."

Leaning forward, Neviril kissed Aaeru softly, touching her for the first time since her bedroom on the Arcus Prima. Aaeru seemed to try to say something, but Neviril kept their lips locked, savoring the feeling for just a bit longer. She needed to feel that connection between them and make sure she was grounded. It had to be reality, and not death nor dream. She soon pulled away and rested her forehead against Aaeru's. "Thank you," she whispered before getting to her feet.

Aaeru stood up as well, looking confused. "What for?" She hadn't done anything in particular, not that she could remember.

"Being you, that's all," answered Neviril as she headed for the woods. She meant to see what the Simoun had on board for an emergency, and what supplies they might already be carrying that could be put to good use.

The confused look on Aaeru's face gave away everything. She wasn't quite sure what she'd done to make Neviril thank her, but she accepted it anyway, knowing there must be a reason. She jogged to catch up to Neviril, who had pulled open the compartment. Together, they set up camp, preparing to spend their first night together in a new land.


End file.
